Closure for food containers



ay 1927 D. M. GRAY ET AL CLOSURE FOR FOOD CONTAINERS Filed June 18, 1925NVENTO R5: v v onnv M106 d mv J- mum v DIN/EL ATTORNEY I Patented May24, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL m. GRAY, EDWIN HAUB,

AND JOHN J. WILLIAMS, 0]? WHEELING, WEST VIR- GINIA, ASSIGNOBS TOHAZEL-ATLAS GLASS COMPANY, OF WHEELING, WEST VIR- GINIA, A CORPORATIONOF WEST VIRGINIA.

CLOSURE FOR 'roon CONTAINERS.

Application filed June 18, 1925. Serial No. 37,914..

Fig. l is a partial section of a glass jar showing our improved closureor cap in position for application thereto; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are similarsections showing the positions of the closure respectively just afterthe be inning of the sealing operation, in applie or sealed position,and the effect of internal pressure after application of. the closure;Fig. 5 is a partial elevation of the jar shown in Figs. 1, 2,. 3 and 4;,Fig. 6 is a section of the closure shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4c; andFig. 7 is a section of a modified form of closure.

Our invention relates to caps or closures for food containers, such asglass receptacles, of the type which are made of metal which is soft andlight enough to be torn readily with the fingers so as to permit easyremoval. The objection to such closures is that they normally have notenough strength in the side walls or depending flanges to cause therubber gaskets therein to seal the imperfections which are usually foundin the glass of the containers as now made, for the reason that theflanges bulge and give way and thus fail to press the rubber gasketstightly enough against the side walls of the glass to maintain a seal.In carrymg out our invention and in eliminating these defects wereinforce the flange suit- I ably, andsuch reinforcement, which may bein the form of a bead with an internal annular groove, provides room fora gasket, which as the closure is applied "is forced outwardly into suchgroove, and thus permits the gasket to slide over the finish or lip ofthe glass and form a seal. Our invention also comprises various featureswhich we shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, the closure or cap 2 is preferably made ofvery thin sheet metal such as aluminum, which may be easily torn withthe fingers, and has a depending flange 3. In the flange 3 and at anappreciable space below its top edge is provided a bead 4, which on theinner face of the flange forms an annular groove 5, so

portion 7 was to support the gasket 6 in position ready for applicationto thejar 8: The constricted portion 7 also acts as a reinforcement tothe flange 3 and assists the bead 4 in stiffening the flange and inpreventing it from bulging or deforming under pressure. 1

The jar or receptacle 8 preferably has the outer edge 9 of its lipbevelled, and below the bevelled edge or surface 9 are the verticalsurfaces 10 and 11, and between them a depressed surface 12 and a secondbevelled edge 13. Attached to the lower edge of the flange 3 are lugs orflaps 14,- shown in Fig. 6, bent up on the outside of the flange, bywhich the flange may be torn out, thus breaking the seal and permittingthe removal of the closure.

The closure is applied to the glass receptacle as follows:

The closure is placed on top of the container in the position shown inFig. l, with the bottom, edge of the gasket 6 resting on the bevelledsurface 9 with the constricted portion 7 of the flange 3. which is ofslightly larger diameter than the diameter of the surface 11, extendingabout that surface, thereby serving to center the closure over the topof the container.

As the diameter of the gasket 6 is smaller than the diameter of thesurface 10, considerable force is required to be applied to the top ofthe closure in order to force it down over the surface 10 of thecontainer, and when this force is applied to the closure top the gasket6 is compressed and its lower portion is forced outwardly into thegroove 5,.

as is shown in Fig. 3. The'gasket 6 thus is permitted to slide down overthe surfaces 9 and 10, and when its bottom portion passes below thesurface 10 the compression of that portion is released and that portionof the gasket expands into the depression 12, as is shown in Fig. 3,thus havmg a sealing engagement with the surfaces 9 and 10 and aninterlock with the depression 12.

The interlock of the gasket in the depression 12 is of importance, sincein sterilizing many food products the sealed packages are heated to atemperature which in some cases reaches 200 F. This heating creates aninternal pressure which has a tendency to force the cover off suchpackages, and thereby spoil the contents. Hence, the desirability ofhaving some means for retaining the closures on the container under suchcondition is manifest. This internal pressure condition is illustratedin Fig. 4.

In Fig. 7 we have shown a modifiedform of closure in which theconstricted portion 7 of the flange 3 has an additional reinforcing bead15.

The terms and expressions which we have employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and we have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivaients of thefeatures shown and described, or portions thereof. but recognize thatvarious modifications are possible within the scope of the inventionclaimed.

What we claim is:

1. A closure for a food container composed of a relatively soft lightmetal having an imperforate top and a depending flange with aconstricted lower portion; an annular reinforcing bead in said flangeforming an internal annular groove; a plastic gasket engaging theconstricted portion of the flange and the inner surface of the top andbearing against the inner surface of said flange, in combination with acontainer having an exterior annular projection immediately below thetop edge thereof with a bevelled upper face; and a recessed portionbelow said projection; the lower portion of said gasket upon applicationof pressure to the top of the closure being arranged to be compressedinto said groove upon being forced against said bevelled face andthereby to pass the said annular projection, and expand intosaid'recessed portion below said projection; whereby the said gasketforms a seal against said projection and an interlock with thelower'edge of such pro ection.

2. A closure for a food container composed of a relatively soft lightmetal comprising an imperforate top and'a depending flange; acircumferential rib insaid flange forming an internal groove; a plasticgasket seating upon the inner face of said flange and having a bearingupon the inner surface of the top; in combination with a contamer havingannular faces of different diameters, one of which is greater than theinternal diameter of said gasket; the said gasket prior to theapplication of pressure spanning but not entering the groove and uponthe application of pressure to the top of said closure being arranged tobe compressed into said groove and thereby to pass over the annular faceof greater diameter, form a seal against said surface, and expand in theregion of an annular face of a lesser dlameter than the initial internaldiameter of said gasket, and comprising a means for resisting internalpressures.

3. A closure for a food container com posed of a relatively soft lightmetal having an imperforate top and a depending flange with aconstricted lower portion, the constricted portion of said flange belowsaid gasket being of appreciably less diameter than the interiordiameter of any other part of the flange; an annular head in said flangeforming an internal annular groove; a plastic gasket engaging theconstricted portion of the flange and the inner surface of the top andbearing against the inner surface of said flange; in combination with acontainer having an exterior annular projection immediately below thetop edge thereof with a bevelled upper face; and a recessed portionbelow said projection; the lower portion of said gasket upon applicationof pressure to the top of the closure being arranged to be compressedinto said groove upon being forced against said bevelled face andthereby to pass the said annular projection, and expand into saidrecessed portion below said projection; whereby the said gasket forms aseal against said projection and an interlock with the lower edge ofsuch projection.

4. A closure for a food container composed of relatively light softmetal having an imperforate top and a dependin flange .with asubstantially vertical inner ace and with a constricted lower portion;an an-' nular bead in said flange forming an internal annular groove; aplastic gasket seating against said vertical face and above saidconstricted portion; in combination with a container having an exteriorannular projection with a circumferential bearingface; the saidprojection having a bevelled upper face extending to the top edge of thecontainer at an angle to said projection, and a recessed portion belowsaid'projection; the lower portion of thegasket on the application ofpressure to the top of the closure being arranged to be compressed intosaid groove upon being forced against said bevelled face, and therebypass said projection and expand into said recessed portion below saidprojection, whereby the said gasket forms a seal against said projectionand an interlock with the lower edge of such projection.

5. In closure means for glass containers, a cap member formed of sheetmetal and having a relatively fiat body portion pro vided at its edgewith an annular flange member adapted to receive the mouth portion ofthe container, said annular flange member having a reduced diameteradjacent its free edge to provide an internal gasketreceiving seatbetween the reduced portion and the body portion of the cap member, andthe gasket-receiving seat having a reinforcing bead formed therein.

6. In closure means for glass containers,

10 the cap member,

seat, a lip member formed on the mouth portion of the container forengagement by said gasket, and a circumferential bead formed on thecontainer in a spaced apart relation to the lip member, said gasket,extending across the lip member into the recess between the lip and thebead, the reduced section of the cap flange member occupying 20 anenclosing relation to the bead member.

DANIEL M. GRAY. EDWIN HAUB. JOHN J. WILLIAMS.

